WinGD Announces Launch of First Two-Stroke Ethanol Marine Engine for 2026
Swiss marine energy company WinGD has announced plans to launch its first two-stroke marine engine powered by ethanol in 2026, with initial deliveries scheduled for 2027. The engine will be available for both new vessels and retrofit projects.
WinGD has spent ten years researching ethanol as a marine fuel, starting with a project funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in 2014, which included full-scale engine testing conducted in 2018.
The new ethanol engine utilizes technologies from the X-DF-M model, which operates on methanol. This design has already received approval from classification societies and positive feedback from early users.
Source: Leonid Sorokin/Shutterstock
The ethanol version adapts the diesel cycle combustion concept for various sizes of WinGD cylinders. Modifications in the control system and injector placement account for the higher energy density of ethanol, allowing for a reduction in overall fuel volume.
The company is developing flexible solutions for alcohol fuels, working on injector development as part of the HERCULES 2 project, funded by the EU since 2016.
Read also: Gas and diesel low-pressure two-stroke engine (X-DF)
The production of ethanol from renewable biomass and its competitive pricing in certain markets have attracted the attention of the maritime sector, as operators seek alternative fuel options.
WinGD’s Vice President of Research and Development, Sebastian Hensel, stated:
“This announcement is further proof of the strength of our research program. Our early studies on ethanol were crucial for the successful development of our methanol engine X-DF-M, and now both contribute to the rapid commercialization of the first two-stroke ethanol engine.”
WinGD is currently engaging with shipowners, ethanol suppliers, and classification societies regarding the commercial application of the new engine. The company will clarify whether the first engine will be optimized solely for ethanol use or configured for methanol with the possibility of later switching to ethanol.
Additionally, WinGD has become a founding member of the Global Ethanol Association, aimed at connecting organizations within the ethanol supply chain.
In June 2025, WinGD confirmed it would supply dual-fuel methanol engines XDFM and X-Engine designs, ready for methanol, for more than 30 container ships ordered by a major Taiwanese shipowner. The contract covers methanol-ready X92 engines for twelve vessels, each with a capacity of 16 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). These orders add to previously secured contracts for twenty ships with a capacity of 8 700 TEU, of which fourteen will be equipped with methanol-ready X82 engines, and six with X82DF-M engines running on methanol.
